


An Unwanted Uncle

by Mozart_the_Meerkitten



Series: A Birdman and the Jewels of Anniera [2]
Category: The Wingfeather Saga - Andrew Peterson
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Canon Compliant, Family Angst, Gen, Hearing Voices, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Canon, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:48:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28841130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mozart_the_Meerkitten/pseuds/Mozart_the_Meerkitten
Summary: Please note that this fic contains spoilers for the Wingfeather Saga.Peet finally makes himself known to the Igiby family. Things do not go as planned.
Series: A Birdman and the Jewels of Anniera [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2110272
Kudos: 3





	An Unwanted Uncle

**Author's Note:**

> Alright! Part two of this little series. A more serious one. There are suicidal thoughts at the end so be aware of that.
> 
> A little note: I know that in book 1 Leeli says she never really interacted with Peet, but my counterpoint is that she's a friendly little bean and children are naturally curious. You think a random guy with socks on his hands is gonna show up and three kids ages 8-5 aren't going to ask questions about him? I think Leeli definitely tried to talk to him at some point and she just forgot (4 years is a long time).
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Peet stood in the shadows just outside an alley, watching Nia and the three little Iggyfeathers wander around the market. It had been three weeks since he had come to Glipwood, and he had not yet spoken to them. He wasn’t sure if they had seen him or knew he was there, but if they did they had never acknowledged him.

Peet glanced down at his bare feet and ragged clothes. He didn’t exactly look like he once did, it was possible they wouldn’t recognize them even if they did notice him.

Nia and the children walked out of sight and Peet started to move closer so he could continue to watch them when a small voice spoke.

“Hello!”

Peet jumped and looked down at the tiny, blonde girl with a crutch who stood before him with a smile as bright as the sun.

“My name’s Leeli!” she said cheerfully. “I’ve seen you a couple times. Did you just move to Glipwood?”  
Peet didn’t know what to do but nod at her. On instinct he knelt down, and her smile widened.  
“What’s your name?” Leeli asked.  
“Peet,” he said, his voice quiet and hoarse.  
“That’s a nice name,” said Leeli.  
“So’s is Eeli, Leeli. Berry veutiful, be-e-autiful,” he said, feeling a pang in his chest. He could remember Nia and- and his brother, talking about children’s names, how they’d decided if they had a daughter they’d name her Leeli because it sounded musical.

Peet whimpered and twitched. Leeli frowned at him.  
“Are you okay?”  
He swallowed, nodding at her. Very gently he reached out and rested a socked hand on her head, his heart aching.  
Leeli giggled, and her sunshine-smile returned. “You’re funny,” she said.  
He smiled at her, the first smile he’d given anyone in as long as he could remember.

“LEELI!”

Peet jumped so bad at the shout that he fell back. He pulled his hand off Leeli’s head and scrambled up quickly. The shout was equal parts familiar and alarming to him, but Leeli didn’t seem concerned, even as Nia rushed up to them and grabbed the little girl.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Nia demanded, looking warily from her daughter to Peet. “You know not to talk to strangers!”  
“But he lives here, mama,” said Leeli. “We talk to everyone who lives here.”  
“That doesn’t mean people aren’t dangerous,” said Nia. Peet winced. “Unless your grandfather or I tell you you can talk to someone you don’t know you should not be talking to them, do you understand?”  
“Yes mama,” said Leeli.  
“Good,” said Nia. “Now let’s…”

Whatever she was about to say trailed off as she truly looked at Peet for the first time. Her eyes widened and her face paled.  
Peet felt a hopeful feeling in his chest and he tried to make his mouth form the right words. _‘It’s me, Nia. I finally found you. I’m so sorry about Es-Es-Esb- I’m so sorry.’_

But Nia didn’t say anything to him. She grabbed Leeli’s hand and started to pull her away. “Janner, Tink! We’re going home, come along!” she called.

Before Peet could say something to stop them the Wingibys had hurried off down the trail to their home, the children casting curious glances back at him. Leeli gave him a smile as she limped away, and a warm ache settled in his chest.

****

When Peet walked into Glipwood the next day, Podo Helmer was waiting for him.

Peet and Podo had never been close, even on Anniera, but Peet was surprisingly glad to see the old pirate. If he was here then it meant that Nia really had recognized him, and that maybe there was hope of seeing his little niece and nephews again.

“Well, look who it is,” growled Podo as Peet walked up to him. “Leeli tells me you’re going by Peet here.”  
Peet nodded and would have smiled at the mention of Leeli’s name if it hadn’t been for the dark look in Podo’s eyes.

Abruptly Podo grabbed his arm and dragged Peet into the shadows of an alley, shoving him into a corner. “Now look here,” Podo said, his voice low and dangerous. “I don’t know what you’re doing here and I don’t care either. My family is safe here and I’ll not have you do anything to get in the way of that. You stay away from them, do you understand me?”  
Peet frowned, eyes wide, and shook his head. “N-no. No. Won’t away, ston’t way st-a-a-y, _won’t stay away_.”

Peet didn’t see Podo’s fist swing, but he felt a flash of pain in the side of his head right before he dropped to the ground. His vision flickered out then grew blurry, and he felt and tasted blood in his mouth. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to focus. The whole left side of his face was pounding and throbbing.

“Stay away from my family,” Podo rumbled. “Or I’ll make you, _Artham_.”

Peet whimpered and shook his head, through it sent a stab of white hot pain through his head. He coughed as blood ran out of his mouth and onto the ground beside him, listening as Podo’s footsteps clomped away.

He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, bleeding and shaking, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to will away the pain. He brought up a socked hand and pressed it into his mouth, trying to slow the bleeding.

Footsteps. Peet whimpered and tried to curl himself into a ball. The steps paused, then suddenly hurried towards him.

“Peet?” said a worried voice.  
Peet forced his eyes open and found himself looking up at the concerned face of Joe Shooster kneeling beside him.  
“What in Aerwiar happened?!” asked Joe. Peet winced and shut his eyes again. The light hurt, voices hurt.

“Did the Fangs do this?” Joe asked. Then he snorted. “That’s a stupid question, of course they did. Are you hurt anywhere else, Peet?”  
With an effort, Peet managed to shake his head in a way that caused him only minimal pain. “Alright,” said Joe. “Let’s get you on your feet and I’ll take you to the Inn. Addie’ll patch you up.”

Walking turned out to mean Joe half carried him while Peet stumbled along on weak, shaky legs.

_‘How pathetic,’_ taunted the voices in his head. _‘The Throne Warden, knocked silly by a single punch from an old man. What an excellent protector you make. They don’t even_ want _you to protect them! You’re as useless as you are weak.’_

Peet felt tears sliding down his cheeks, mingling with the half-dried blood there. They were right. He was useless and worthless. His own family didn’t even want him there.

The world grew blessedly dimmer and Peet realized they were inside the Inn. Joe led him into the kitchen. “Addie,” Joe called softly.  
Addie looked up from where she was stirring a pot of something that smelled wonderful and gasped, dropping her spoon on the floor. “Peet! What happened?!”  
“Fangs,” said Joe, easing Peet down onto the kitchen bench. “I found him bleeding in an alley not far from the barracks. Miserable lizards.”

Peet didn’t bother to correct them. He just hung his head and pressed his sock into his still-bleeding mouth. He must have lost a tooth.

“Alright, hold on dear,” said Addie, and Peet heard her bustling around the kitchen. After a few minutes he felt something cool and wonderful press against the injured side of his face. He leaned into the touch and sighed.

Addie cleaned him up and bandaged a cut on his cheek. She got him to take his hand out of his mouth and made him swish water around in it to clean out the blood. Then she gave him something cool to press against his cheek and she and Joe helped him upstairs to a room and insisted he stay in it until he was better. Peet was too weak to argue so he curled up on the bed and shut his eyes.

When he woke up later he found a glass of water setting on the bedside table. And beside it was a pair of clean, knitted socks.

Peet sat up with an effort, the movement making his head pound and the world spin. He shut his eyes. The pain wasn’t quite as bad as it had been before. He took a sip of water, only spilling a little with his shaking hands.

He tugged off his bloody socks and pulled on the new ones, trying to think as he did so. What was the point of staying in Glipwood to protect his family if they didn’t want to be protected? He shuddered at the thought of confronting Podo again. Would that happen every time he went near the children? Every time one of the Featherbys saw him in town?

He whimpered and pressed his head into his hands.

_‘Just leave,’_ whispered the voices. _‘Nobody wants you. Nobody needs you. Even better; throw yourself over the cliffs and be done with it! You failed at being a Throne Warden, and if you couldn’t even protect your brother how could you protect his children? You’re pathetic. Worthless. Broken. Unnecessary. A mockery of both humans and Fangs. The world would be better off without you.”_

Peet sobbed. He knew it was true, but…

But…

He remembered Leeli Wigiby with the sunshine smile, the smile he desperately wanted to see again even if it wasn’t directed at him.

“Maker,” he half whispered, half sobbed. “Please.”

He bowed his head as tears ran down his face.

_‘Protect.’_

The reply slipped into his mind, gentle and firm, and Peet looked up, blinking at the ceiling. The voices hissed and shrieked, but they seemed small and inconsequential now.

_‘Protect them.’_

Peet swallowed and wiped his nose, sniffling. He nodded a little and took a deep breath.

He would not abandon the children like he had abandoned his brother. He would stay. He would protect them and he would fight for them. He would even get hit in the face for them.

He loved them.

**Author's Note:**

> I threw in a few connections to the books with this one:
> 
> 1\. In book 1 when Leeli first properly meets Peet he tries to reach out and set a hand on her head but she pulls back. I thought it would be sweet to play out another version of that scene.  
> 2\. Janner, in books 2-4, often hears his uncle's voice in his head telling him, 'Protect', when he's reluctant or scared, so I thought I'd write a scene where Peet had a similar thing happen.
> 
> If you enjoyed, please leave a comment!


End file.
